When a fisherman puts bait on his hook, it is desirable to place the hook accurately in the bait so that the hook does not tear out during casting or reeling. Furthermore, the inadvertent placement of the hook in certain locations in live bait can decrease the effectiveness of the live bait by needlessly limiting its movements or by causing its premature death. Accurate placement of the hook in live bait can be impeded by the bait moving about rapidly, thereby making it difficult to hold, which also increases the danger that the fisherman will accidentally hook himself. This problem is made worse when the bait itself poses a hazard to the fisherman, as for example when the bait has sharp fins, spines or teeth.
Additionally, in some circumstances it may be desirable to avoid direct contact with the bait. For example, some people when fishing might have the manual dexterity to impale the bait accurately with a hook, but for one reason or another find handling bait with their hands unpleasant or offensive. Also, human skin contains oils which can be deposited on the bait by direct handling and these oils might decrease the effectiveness of the bait.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need exists for a device which aids in the accurate placement of a hook in bait, minimizes the danger of the fisherman hooking himself or the bait injuring the fisherman, and minimizes direct contact between the fisherman's hands and the bait. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.